Fur brushing and ironing machine



Aug. 13, 1929. J. ZABEL FUR sausnme AND momma MACHINE Filed April 14, 1928 Z ammo;

Qua/mug Patented Aug. 13, 1929.-

UNITE ATEN OFFICE.

JACOB ZABEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T RELIABLE MACHINE WORKS, INC, 01' BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF YORK.

FUR BBUSHING AND IRONING MACHINE.

Application died April 14,

This invention relates to a fur treating method and apparatus, and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for brushing and ironing furs and similar plle fabrics.

5 In finishin furs or like pile fabrics the operations 0 brushing an lromng have been carried out independently andseparate- 1y by hand guided instrumentalities or by separate machine elements. Hand methods for practicing these operations are objectionable because of the non-umform'results roduced due to the fallibility of the human actor. With hand methods even with highly skilled help it is difficult to work w1t h umform heating s eeds so that the heat 1s concentrated local y on various sectlons of the furs, leading to overheating andto slngelng in local spots, which singemg 1s not only detrimental in itself,.but roduces varying discoloration effects in t e finished fur. When carried out by hand, the brushing and ironing steps are, moreover, of a superficlal character, since the hairs or na of the fur are not treated to the roots; an while repetition of hand brushing and ironing partially rectifies this objection, this is done at the risk or danger of discoloring the fur due to local overheating or singeing. While the use of machine elements as heretofore so practiced overcomes some of the objections incident to hand methods, the use of separated brushing and ironing elements for separately carrying out the brushing and ironing steps at different sections of the fur sufiers the disadvantage of producing a comparatively poor and incompletely finished product.

A rime object of my present invention, therefore, centers about t e provision of a method of and apparatus for finishing furs in which the brushing and ironin steps are carried out with unlformity an efiiciency to an extent which yields a superior finished product. By the method of the inventlon the uniformity of the ironing and brushing steps obtained produces a better and homogeneous luster and a more uniform color when compared with the products of prior known methods. In accordance with the method of the present invention the hair or nap of the furs or similar pile fabrics are subjected to alternating brushing and ironing steps in a continuous operation, the

1928. Serial No. 270,132.

brushing producing the combing, cleaning,

uncurling and electrifying of the fur and, the ironing producing the ironed or glazin efiect, these operations, one immediatel f0 lowing the other effecting the desir uniform and superior results. Due to the continuity of the motion and the corresponding an umformity of the brushing and heating steps, the brushes acting first as a straightening medium for the hair prior to heating and then as a cooling medium for the hair after heating, singeing or overheating in 10- 5 cal spots is prevented and a homogeneous luster is obtained.

Other objects of my invention reside in the provision of a fur treating apparatus which includes means for uniformly brush- 7o ing the hairs or nap of pile fabrics, such as furs and uniformly ironing or glazing the same, by moving brushing and ironing elements, one immediately following the other relatively to the hair or nap of furs or sim- 76 ilar pile fabrics continuously, uniformly and in succession of alternate operations, the brushing and ironing elements being contifguous and within the limits of the length 0 the hairs or nap of the fabric, the suc- '80 cessive operations being such as to overcome the natural tendency of the hairs or nap to reassume any predetermined curled condition after brushing and prior to heating and so that brushing is carried out just when the 5 fur has been heated and ironing or glaz' while the filaments, hairs or nap are stretched or uncurled.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter more particularly described and sought to be definedin the claims; reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments of my invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates in perspective a suitable form of device embodying an application of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof taken in the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective;

Fig. 4 is a view taken in perspective and showing a modified form of the apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a still further modification.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and having reference first to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof wherein is shown a suitable form of apparatus for carrying out the objects of the invention, the apparatus comprises the supporting standards 7 and 8 having bearings for a shaft 9 upon which contact rings 10 are secured for furnishing energy to a plurality of electrical heating units 12, 12 arranged beneath the curved smoothing or ironing surfaces 13 and 14. The ironing surfaces 13 and 14 are supported by a block 15 which extends longitudinally upon and is fixed to the shaft 9, the said block also serving as a support for a plurality of brush bases 16 and 17 suitably secured thereto. These brush bases are provided with brush elements or bristles 18 preferably arranged at an angle as shown. The brush elements 16 and 17 and the heating elements 13 and 14 thus comprise, when fixed to the supporting block 15, a rotatable drum with the heating and brushing elements arranged in close contiguity and in alternation.

Cooperating with this drum assembly and fixed to the standards? and 8, there is provided a table or platform 20 which serves as a table or support for the fur or like fabric to be treated. For rotating the drum assembly there is provided a handle or other suitable motor 21 secured to the shaft 9 so that as the fur is fed beneath the drum and on the table or support 20, the fur is sub- 'ected to the alternating action of the rushes 18 and the ironing elements 13 and 14 in a continuous operation.

It will thus be observed by arranging the electrical ironing surfaces 13 and 14 alternating with the brushing elements 18, that I have provided a device for brushing hairs or nap of pile fabrics such as furs, and simultaneously ironing or glazing the same, the device being characterized by carrying out these operations in succession and in alternation, one operation immediately following the other whereby the hairs or nap are brushed and while so brushed to straighten the hair are ironed or glazed. These operations are carried out alternately so that the ironing or glazing is carried out while the hairs are still in a straightened condition before any recurling or springing back of the hair to normal condition can take place and so that the hair or nap is again quickly brushed while the same is in heated condition after the heating step.

It will also be observed that due to the separation between the heating and brushing elements, the brushes function as a cooling medium effective intermediate the heating steps, the contact of the fur with the cooling brushes resulting in setting the hairs or filaments of the fur and in preventing overheating or singeing. Furthermore, as the operation obtained between alternations is produced by uniformly moving mounting means, the operations of ironing and brushing are uniform; and when associated, as described, to be carried out in rapid succession by alternate brushing and ironing, a homogeneity and uniformity of shade and luster without local underbrushing or overheating is obtained.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the shaft 22 is provided with a roller 23 above a fur supporting platform 24 and is also provided with a sprocket wheel 25 carrying the sprocket chain 26. For supporting the brushing and heating units there is provided a belt 27 of canvas or other suitab e material which passes over the roller 23 and over a similar roller at the opposite end of the structure (not shown), the said belt supporting alternately and contiguously spaced heating plates 28 and brushes 29. These plates 28 and brushes 29 are provided with lugs 30 extending from opposite ends and penetrated by bars 31 which are employed to aflix the heating and brushing units to the chain 26. The skin or pelt is indicated as 32 supported on the platform 24 and when so supported the skinis subjected to the alternating action of the brushes and heating plates as the rollers 23 are operated from any suitable motor.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, it will be observed that the plates 28 and the brushes 29' are irregularly shaped approximating a V-shape, this being capable of producing an action upon the pelt somewhat similar to the angularly mounted brushes 18 in the apparatus of Fig.

l of the drawings.

With the apparatus of the invention made in accordance with any of these forms, it will be seen that in one operation I may practice the method previously set forth wherein there is accomplished a combined brushing and ironing operation. The efiect produced is superior to brushing and ironing when the method is practiced by hand or when practiced by machinery wherein the brushing and ironing elements are arranged at separated points to operate upon separated regions of the fur.

The operation, as carried out, serves to produce a uniform luster and glazing effect free from any tendency to produce uneven shades such as is due to the overheating or singeing incident to prior methods.

While I have shown and described my invention in the preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

I claim 1. In a device of the class described, a

support for the work, a roller above the same, and means for applying the same thereto, said roller divided into circumferential sections, one of which is a brush, the other, a smooth surface and a heating element for said surface.

2. In a device of the class described, a support for the work, a roller above the "same, and means for applying the same thereto, said roller divided into circumferential sections, one of which is a brush, the other a smooth surface and a heating element for said surface, said brush separated longitudinally into sections extending in a direction between the axis and transverse of said roller.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, means for mounting a pelt or the like, a brushing member and a pressing member, and means for moving said brushing and pressing members relatively to said pelt in successive and uniform repeats;

4. In an apparatus of the character (16 scribed, means for mounting a pelt or the like, brushing and ironing members arranged in close contiguity and means for moving said brushing and ironing members relatively to said pelt alternately in success sive repeats. I

5. In an apparatus of the character described, means for mounting a pelt or the like, a brushing member and a pressing 35 member, means for mounting the same con-v tiguous to each other within the limits of length of the filamentaryhairs of the pelt 40 an d like, a rotatable drum having brushing and ironing members thereon arranged in alternating contiguity and means for rotating said] rum relatlvely to said pelt so as to move'the brushing and ironingmembersalternately in successive r epats relatively to said pelt.

7. In a fur treating device, a work hold- 1 ing portion for mounting the pelt or the like, a rotatable member, means for mounting said rotatable member relatively to said workholding portion, means on said rotatable member for brushing and pressing the fur and heating means for said pressing means.

8. In a fur treating device, the combination which comprises a work holdin tion a rotatable member and'means or rotatably mounti I :said member relatively to said work holding portion, said rotatable member including alternately spaced brushing and pressing members peripherall disposed on said rotatable member, and e ectri cal heating elements for said pressing members arranged interiorly of u said rotatable member. I

, In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature. v

' JACOB ZABEL- o fithe character de- 45 por 

